Dead River TWP
Flagstaff Lake from Bigelow Mountain (2003) The township is immediately west of Carrying Place Town Township, host to the next northerly section of the AT. Little Bigelow Mountain, Myron H. Avery Peak, and West…
"Those seeking cold, hard statistics on Maine communities won't be disappointed." —Bangor Daily News
Flagstaff Lake from Bigelow Mountain (2003) The township is immediately west of Carrying Place Town Township, host to the next northerly section of the AT. Little Bigelow Mountain, Myron H. Avery Peak, and West…
Mushrooms and Fungi Mushrooms are fungi (plural of fungus), but not all fungi are mushrooms. There are about 99,000 fungi species, including yeasts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. Some mushrooms a poisonous! Do not eat wild mushrooms unless you are certain they are safe. None of the mushrooms noted or referenced here have been vetted for…
According to the Oxford English Reference Dictionary “magic” may mean “an inexplicable or remarkable influence producing surprising results.” For hikers of the Appalachian Trail it means relief from the weary, but rewarding, trek for many miles for many days. Sometimes it comes in the form of drinks planted in a cold stream on the trail.…
Stephen Joseph Longley (1957-2013), born in Lewiston, was known throughout the Appalachian Trail hiking community by his trail name, “The Ferryman,” for twenty years, from 1987 to 2007. He operated the Appalachian Trail Conference’s Kennebec River Ferry Service where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Kennebec River in Caratunk, one of the most formidable and treacherous,…
The township [also known as T7 R11 NWP] is home to First and Second Little Lyford Ponds, an Appalachian Mountain Club lodge on the site of an historic logging camp, and an extensive section of the Appalachian Trail. The ponds and lodge are east of Greenville following…
Amphibians, part of Maine’s wildlife population, are cold-blooded vertebrate (having a backbone) animals usually living on land but breeding in water, where their offspring change into adults. Salamanders An example of a Maine amphibian is the Spotted Salamander. It breeds in vernal pools (pools that have water in the spring but dry up later in…
When John Steinbeck was traveling the country in 1960, he noted that states had interesting differences expressed in their signs: The New England states use a terse form of instruction, a tight-lipped, laconic style sheet, wasting no words and few letters. . . . I am an avid reader of all signs, and I find…
in Maine is a matter of picking the freely available natural resources: streams and lakes for canoeing, nature preserves and mountains for hiking, rivers for rafting on the Penobscot River’s West Branch and the Magalloway River, forests and parks for camping, among the many non-motorized options. Not to mention hunting and fishing opportunities. The Appalachian…
Windows on the River: Moosehead to Popham The Kennebec flows from Moosehead Lake through the West Outlet and the East Outlet, both of which empty into Indian Pond. The water passes through the ten miles of Indian Pond to join the Dead River at The Forks, thus forming the main body of this important river.…
Inland Ferries One atypical ferry operates on the Kennebec River at Caratunk, where Appalachian Trail hikers are provided sake passage across. Crossing rivers was important to commerce and transportation even in the early decades of the 20th century. Some were displaced by bridges, others became obsolete as new roads and faster automobiles became available. This…
The Great Northern Paper Mill and the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad have been keys to the economic life of Millinocket for many years. See photos. The declining employment in the paper industry contributed to the steady loss of population over the past forty years – 42%. Millinocket is the gateway to Baxter State Park and its famed Mount Katahdin.
Grouse Spruce Grouse The Spruce Grouse is found in mixed spruce and pine forests, such as this on the Appalachian Trail in Riley Township in western Maine. It roosts in trees and its almost tame behavior permitted a closer photo than allowed by most birds. This one was seen near its southern range, since the…
The Appalachian Trail crosses B Hill Road in nearby Andover North Surplus. AT&T built the Telstar satellite station here in the 1960s. Community photos. Native American Molly Ockett was buried in an unmarked grave in Andover’s Woodlawn Cemetery in 1816.
Bald Mountain Public Reserved Land, Rangeley. Bald Mountain’s one mile trail to the summit offers panoramic views of Rangeley, Cupsuptic and Mooselookmeguntic lakes and the Height of Land. Especially popular in the fall with autumn colors, the area contains more than 200 species of wildlife in its 1,873 acres. A short trail leads to the…
APPALACHIAN TRAIL – SPRINGER MOUNTAIN GEORGIA Here in the Chattahoochee National Forest on Springer Mountain is where the Appalachian Trail begins for the “north bounders” as they trek to Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park. Often they are dropped off at the parking lot, make the short .9 mile hike to the top of Springer,…
Tireless worker to complete the Appalachian Trail, Myron Avery (1899-1952), born in Lubec, was a navy veteran of two world wars, and was awarded The Legion of Merit. Avery Peak on Bigelow Mountain was named in his honor.
After a trip of four to six months, depending on interests, style, and luck, the north-bound Appalachian Trail “thru hiker” finally arrives at Mount Katahdin’s summit in Mount Katahdin Township in Baxter State Park. Mid-October is the deadline for unrestricted permission to climb the mountain. In 2007 an early snow and resulting ice delayed the…
APPALACHIAN TRAIL – ABOL BRIDGE TO DAICEY POND Abol Bridge is located on the Golden Road over the West Branch of the Penobscot River in township T2 R10 WELS. A private campground and general store sits just outside the boundaries of Baxter State Park and is a major destination for those hiking to…
Nesowadnehunk Falls on the Penobscot West Branch (2018) Three Routes This township, officially known as T2 R10 WELS, is the crossroad of two major “highways” in Maine: The Golden Road and the Appalachian Trail. Both travel the Abol Bridge over the West Branch of the Penobscot River. The Golden Road From east of…
Rainbow Stream Lean-To The township, also known as T2 R11 WELS, is immediately adjacent to T2 R10 WELS, host to the next northerly section of the AT. Traveling south hikers encounter the…